Pughsville-area House Destroyed In Fire Started By Electrical Cord

SUFFOLK — A fire started by a frayed electrical cord destroyed a one-story home in the Pughsville section of the city Wednesday night.

The fire, which was reported at 8:04 p.m., did an estimated $25,000 in damage to the house at 4222 Coltrane Ave., said Deputy Chief E.H. Hollowell of the city Fire Department.

"It was a total loss, really," he said.

No one was home when an extension cord running under a couch set it on fire, Hollowell said. The fire was called in by a neighbor, and Hollowell said he did not know late Wednesday who owned the house.

Flames had nearly devoured the wooden frame dwelling's four rooms and bathroom by the time firefighters arrived, he said.